Tag Archive | bible

A Winter Prayer of Petition and Blessing adapted from Psalm 91 & 57

Mar20

Jehovah-Machsi:   “The Lord, who is my refuge”

 

Show me loving kindness, O God.

For my soul runs to You where I will be safe in the shadow of Your wings. I will cry to You, O God Most High, You, Who finish all things for me. You, Who reaches from heaven to save me. You will send Your loving kindness and Your truth. 

O Lord, You are my safe and strong place.

You are my God, the One I trust.  You will cover me with Your wings. And under Your wings You promise that I will be safe.  God, I know 

 

you are faithful like a safe covering and a strong wall. I will not be afraid of trouble at night, or of the arrow that flies by day. I will not be afraid of the sickness that walks in darkness, or of the trouble that destroys at noon. A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand. But trouble will not come near me.

You, God, are the One I trust. 

  Because I have made You my safe place, and the place where I live, nothing will hurt me. No trouble will come near my home. You will please me with a long life and show favor that I may see Your saving power. You are the One I trust.

I have known Your heavenly name and will call upon You. You will reveal to me Your saving power.

O God, You will tell Your angels to care for me and keep me in all my ways. Your angels will hold me up in their hands so my foot will not hit against anything harsh. You will bring me out of trouble and set me in a safe place on high. You will please me with a long life and show favor to me. You will be with me in my struggle.

Be lifted up above the heavens, O God. Let Your shining greatness be above all the earth.

My heart will not be moved, O God.

My heart cannot be moved. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! Awaken, my shining greatness. Awaken, harps. I will rise early in the morning. O Lord, I will give thanks to You among the people. I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your loving-kindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. Be lifted up above the heavens, O God.

Let Your shining greatness be above all the earth and reveal to me Your saving power, for You are the One I trust.

A Winter Prayer of Petition and Blessing adapted from Psalm 115,140, 142 & 143

Mar20

A Prayer for Help

Jehovah-Ma’oz – Lord, my Fortress, my strength and my strong-place, my safe place in the day of trouble.   Jeremiah16:19                                                 

O Lord, You are faithful, kind and loving. You are my strength. Bring light where there is darkness, heal where I am weak and love where my heart fades. Let my life bring glory and honor to Your name and not to me, O Lord, not to me.

 Hear my prayer, O Lord. Listen when I ask for help. Answer me because You are faithful and right. Do not find me so guilty where there is no forgiveness, for no one living is right and good in Your eyes. This world is cruel and the one who hates me has made it hard for my soul. This torment has crushed my life to the ground and I live in darkness. My spirit is weak and my heart fades.

I cry with a loud voice and pray with my voice to You.  I talk and complain, telling You all my trouble.  When my spirit grows weak within me, You know my path. My enemy has hidden a trap for me in the way where I walk.  There is no one who thinks about me. There is no place for me to go to be safe. No one cares about my soul. Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to You once again.

O Lord, You are faithful, kind and loving. You are my strength. Bring light where there is darkness, heal where I am weak and love where my heart fades. Let my life bring glory and honor to Your name and not to me, O Lord, not to me.

You are my God. Listen to the voice of my prayers, O Lord.  You have covered me with Your grace. Please do not give the sinful what they want. Do not let their plans work, or they will be honored.  You are my safe place, my share in the land of the living. Listen to my cry, for I am brought down. Save me from those who make it hard for me, for they are too strong for me.  Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name. Those who are right and good will gather around me for You will give much to me.

You have been mindful of me, O Lord. I know You will bless me along with those who fear You, both small and great. May You give me increase more and more as I choose rightness and goodness. I will be thankful, as You are my strength.

O Lord,  let my life bring glory and honor to Your name and not to me, O Lord, not to me.

A Winter Prayer of Petition and Blessing adapted from Psalm 102 & 38

Mar2

Jehovah-’Uzam: The Lord is my strength in times of trouble; a prayer of faith

Please hear my prayer, O Lord! Let my cry for help reach You. Do not hide Your face from me

 in my moment of trouble. Please listen and hurry to answer me. The days have disappeared and my body has lost life. My heart is crushed and I have forgotten to eat. I am nothing but skin and bones. Hear my loud cries; I am praying, yearning for You to hear me. I lie awake and feel so alone.

Why can’t You just hear me and answer my cry? God, I need You to steady my heart. Do not leave me alone, O Lord! Do not be far from me! Hurry to help me, O Lord, the One Who saves me! For I hope in You, O Lord, and I know You will answer.

O Lord, do not speak sharp words to me.  Do not punish me. Truly there is no strength in my bones because of my sin. For my sins are gone over my head. Like a heavy load, they weigh too much for me. I cannot stand straight and keep my head down. I have sorrow all day long for my body is filled with burning pain. There is no strength in my body. I am weak and broken. I cry beca

use of the pain in my heart. Lord, all my desire is before You.  My breathing

 from deep within is not hidden from You. My heart beats fast. My strength leaves me. Even the light of my eyes has left me. My loved ones and my friends stay away from me. And I feel so alone.

Why can’t You just hear me and answer my cry? God, I need You to steady my heart. 

Do not leave me alone, O Lord! Do not be far from me! Hurry to help me, O Lord, the One Who saves me! For I hope in You, O Lord, and I know You will answer.

Yet you, God, are sovereign still, always and ever sovereign. You will rise up and show favor to me. I will fear Your name and Your shining greatness. You will answer my prayer and meet my need. You will not turn from me. I will give thanks to You for You are faithful. It’s Your compassion I long to feel. I want to see Your glory. My desire is to worship Your name and give You praise even in this painful time. Truly You have sovereignly brought me to my knees. You are always the same. Your years will never end. The children of those who serve You will live on. And their children will be set before You.

COMMUNITY: Lesson 8 Bonus Content

Feb22

The Great Commission

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16: 15Public domain image, royalty free stock photo from www.public-domain-image.com

Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally. Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age. Matthew 28:16-20

Your career and community service can be your outreach or mission field that will give you a platform to put your faith foundation into action. Having a job affords you room to challenge yourself, to exercise your God-given talents, and to share God’s love.  The commitment to community is the third step in building the foundation that leads to a life of excellence.

Scripture Memorization

“Love your neighbor”

As a woman of faith, community should matter to you.  Jesus said to the scribes in the passage of Mark 12: 28-34, “The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Why should community matter to you? Because Jesus said there is no other commandment greater than loving the Lord your God and loving your neighbor. In obedience to our heavenly Father, we are compelled to love others. And so this is why we serve in our community.

The Study

Complete pages 43-44 in Excellence with Simple Elegance: The Study.  The Study (workbook)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Become a mentor page 45 in The Study.

“God did not call us to have lots of friends, but to be a friend” Dr. Bill Anderson

As a mentor and a life coach for 20 years, I am totally convinced that we can positively affect our community one person at a time.  We  must first realize our need to have a lifestyle that reflects the excellence of God. We must actually live out our faith putting God first in all areas of our life. It is imperative that the actions of life model the words spoken.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
―    Mother Teresa

Mentoring is defined in the Merriam-Webster as “a trusted counselor or guide”.  A mentor is a coach, a tutor, or an advisor. One who speaks encouragement and wisdom to the one being mentored.  A mentor is an individual, usually older, always more experienced, who helps and guides another individual’s development. This guidance is not done for personal gain. To mentor, you must be sincerely interested in someone else’s growth assisting in goals setting and holding them accountable.

Be mentored page 45 in The Study,

Women’s ways of mentoring in the business world call it “wo-mentoring”.  It is a refreshing new approach that’s more about commitment and learning.  Women’s mentoring is about personal growth and development. You should pair with someone who, by her very nature, will challenge you.

New Rule of Mentoring: Everyone needs mentors. The old school taught that mentoring was for the young. The new style adamantly rejects such an antiquated notion.

The most important lesson that the women’s approach to mentoring has to teach: It’s not about a mentoring relationship. It’s about a mentoring mentality. You don’t need a single mentor. God can use different mentors during a lifetime. What you need is a mind-set that allows you to learn from those around you. My husband’s saying is “you are the average of the people you hang with” so with that in mind choose mentors who will challenge you, who are passionate about life, and foremost women who are in pursuit of living God’s way.

Please let me know your progress. I want to hear your stories. Take time to comment on this blog site.

Our pursuit of excellence demands that we have a routine of sharing our faith.  We have been called to share the biblical truth  about eternity with those we love. It is wonderful that we have the certainty of heaven but how much more joy we would experience  knowing that we are taking our family and friends.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” Matthew 28:19

I believe we are not bold when it comes to sharing the Good News, the plan of salvation. Why? Is it a possibility that we truly don’t believe that hell is for real or that a loving God would condemn good people to a life of eternal damnation. And if there is hell, an eternal separation from God, then it must only be a mere annoyance and mild displeasure. It certainly cannot be fire!

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” Rev 20:15

When we truly understand the nature of the Holiness of God, we then will understand how unrighteousness and unrepentant violates His Holiness, insults His justice and be littles His grace. Jonathan Edwards is known for the most famous sermon preached in America titled, ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’. In that sermon he says,” almost every natural man who hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is doing, or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes will not fail.” God’s wrath is divine, fierce and everlasting. But God provided a way to escape His wrath by way of the cross.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

In your pursuit of excellence, make a routine that includes sharing this good news with your community.  Women of faith your community’s eternal fate should matter because Heaven is real and so is Hell.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16  
 

Promise

” His love never fails”

Blessing 

“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.”                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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A Winter Song of Worship and Praise adapted from Psalm 47, 75 & 76

Feb22

Call out to God with the Voice of Joy

Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with a well-written song. God rules over the nations. God sits on His holy throne. Call out to God with the voice of praise for He is near.

I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. I will tell of His wonderful deeds because He stands up to judge and to rescue the oppressed of the earth. I will make my promises to the Lord my God, and I will keep them. Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One. People everywhere tell of His wonderful deeds for He is near.

God is honored. He is more glorious and majestic than the everlasting mountains. No wonder He is greatly feared!  The earth trembles and stands silent before Him. Many leaders will rise and fall but the Lord is forever. Thanks be to Our God for He is near.

Show your happiness, friends! Call out to God with the voice of joy!

For the Lord Most High is to be feared. He is a great King over all the earth. God has gone up with a loud voice and with the sound of a horn. Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with a well-written song. God rules over the nations. God sits on His holy throne. Call out to God with a voice of praise for He is near.

 How happy is the one whose wrongdoing is forgiven and whose sin is covered! How happy is the one whose sin the Lord does not hold against them, and in whose spirit there is nothing false.

I lift up my hands to His holy place. May honor and thanks be given to the Lord, because He has heard my prayer. The Lord is my strength and my safe cover. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. So my heart is full of joy. I will thank Him with my song. The Lord is my strength. He is a safe place, my Shepherd who carries me. He forgave the guilt of my sin. So let all who are God-like pray to Him while He may be found, because in the floods of much water, they will not touch Him. He is my hiding place. He keeps me safe from trouble. All around me are His songs of being made free. His loving kindness surrounds me because I put my trust in the Lord. So be glad in the Lord and be full of joy all you who are right with God! Sing for joy all you who are pure in heart.    

MARRIAGE: Lesson 7 Bonus Content

Feb21

 SERVE EACH OTHER IN MARRIAGE   A husband and wife who walk in love, unity and mutual respect for each other is God’s intentional design for marriage.

Scripture Memorization

Ephesians 5:22 NIV

“Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LORD.”

The Study

Submission?

When I think of submission to my husband, I view it as a journey of joy and privilege. I choose every day to walk beside him and  support his many endeavors. This walk with my husband has been filled with wonderful adventures but also challenges. With each challenge we continue to face head on together.  I am mindful with every step that we are ‘One’  and  thankful for the man I chose 47 years ago  to walk beside. Submitting is truly bending down to raise up with the utmost respect .

 1 Corinthians 13       The Way of Love    The Message

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.    Love never gives up.    Love cares more for others than for self.    Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.    Love doesn’t strut,    Doesn’t have a swelled head,    Doesn’t force itself on others,    Isn’t always “me first,”    Doesn’t fly off the handle,    Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,    Doesn’t revel when others grovel,    Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,    Puts up with anything,    Trusts God always,    Always looks for the best,    Never looks back,    But keeps going to the end.8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good. We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:8 (MSG)

A close friend, a single woman, said to me not long ago, “if it were not for you and your husband, I would not believe that a faithful loving marriage was possible.” Your relationship with your spouse is a testimony to others of the goodness of God and His faithfulness. A faithful loving marriage is possible for you when we are obedient to His guidance.  Proverbs 3:6 In everything you do put God first… The heart of submission is filled with love and respect that only God can provide. It is the power of the Holy Spirit within you that gives strength and courage to persevere through challenging chaotic moments in a marriage. Ephesians 5:21 says, Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. And after 45 years of married life, I can attest that it is a workout! Marriage isn’t easy, but NEVER GIVE UP! Stay the course of excellence in your marriage relationship. It is never too late to develop these attributes of unconditional love and respect in your marriage. Be committed, be loving, be respectful, but most of all be faithful renewing your mind to whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure.  God, who makes everything work together, will work into your marriage His most excellent harmonies.

THE STUDY

Excellence with Simple EleganceComplete pages 39-41 in Excellence with Simple Elegance THE STUDY  

READ Ephesians 5: 18-21.

To serve each other in marriage is a foreign word in today’s world. But let’s consider what is means to submit.  The wonderful truth to submission is found in vs. 21 “submitting to one another“. This means it is both ways. The husband and wife lovingly desires to serve, to lift up, and to fulfill each others’ longings. They are willing to set aside their immediate needs, preferences and comforts in humble sacrifice for each other.  A mark of a marriage that’s filled with the Spirit there is mutual submission.  The key to the act of submitting is stated in vs. 18  “be filled with Spirit“. When you are filled with His Spirit you are changed and you give from the heart.

Incorporate the following 8 disciplines of love in your marriage relationship

couple0301.Respect your husband.  A man’s greatest need in this world is to be respected, and the person he desires that respect from the most is his wife. The trap that we’ve all been ensnared by is that they only deserve our respect when they earn it. Yes, we want our husbands to make decisions that will ultimately garner our respect, but the truth is that your husband is a human being. A human being who makes mistakes. This is the man that YOU have chosen to walk alongside you for the rest of your life, and to lead your family and he needs to be respected for that quality alone.
2.Guard your heart.  The grass is not greener on the other side. Guard your heart from things and people that will try to convince you that your life or your husband is not good enough. There will always be bigger, faster, stronger, or shinier – but you’ll never be satisfied with more until you’re fulfilled with what you have now. Live the life you have been blessed with and be thankful.
3.God, husband, children…in that order. My faith is of utmost importance, so God comes first in my life no matter what. Because of your faith foundation, your husband should come before your children. You cannot effectively parent your children if your marriage is falling apart. There will also come a time when your children leave the house to pursue their dreams as adults. If you have not cultivated a lasting relationship with your spouse, you will have both empty nests and empty hearts.
4.Forgive.  No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Forgiveness is a decision that you make daily for major mistakes to little annoyances.
5.Communicate. Talk to him about everything. He is your best friend and always speak highly of him.
6.Schedule a regular date night. Be lovers.
7.Never say the “D Word”. Plain and simple, threatening divorce is not fighting fair.
8. Choose to love. Marriage is a commitment. In sickness and health, in good times and in bad. Those vows are sacred.  “In good times and in bad”, implying that there will be bad times. It’s inevitable. So choose to love anyway. Your husband is worth it.

 A faithful loving marriage is possible for you, but obedience to Proverbs 3:6 is key, “In everything you do put God first…”

The heart of submission is  filled with love and respect that only God can provide. It is the power of the Holy Spirit within you that gives strength and courage to persevere through challenging chaotic moments in a marriage.  Ephesians 5:21 says “Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.” And as this lesson’s memory verse says,  we submit to our husbands as to the LORD.   After 40 years of married life, I can attest that it is a workout! Marriage isn’t easy, but NEVER GIVE UP!  It is never too late to develop these attributes in your marriage. Stay the course of excellence in your marriage relationship. Be faithful, be loving, be respectful, be humble and most of all be committed. And your reward will be God’s richest blessings on your marriage.                                 

                 

               PROMISE     

“the two shall become one flesh”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                BLESSING

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

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A Winter Prayer of Petition and Blessing adapted from Psalm 50, 55 & 56

Feb21

Jehovah-’Izoa Hakaboth – Lord Strong –Mighty.

The Powerful One, God, the Lord, has spoken. And He calls the earth from where the sun rises to where the sun goes down. God shines perfect in beauty. May our God come and not keep quiet.

 

When I am afraid, I will trust in You for You are my strength. I will praise Your holy Word. I have put my trust in You for You are strong and mighty. I will not be afraid for You give me strength. What can man, alone, do to me?

O God, many have walked on me. All day long they change my words to say what I did not say. They are always thinking of ways to hurt me. Lord, you have seen how many places I have gone. Put my tears in Your bottle.

Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not hide Yourself from what I ask.  Hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I have no peace, because of the voice of those who hate me and the power of the sinful. For they bring trouble upon me and in anger they keep on having bad thoughts against me. My heart is in pain within me. The fears of death have come upon me. I have begun shaking with fear. Fear has power over me. Please show me Your loving kindness.

 I know that You are for me, O God. I praise Your holy Word. In You I have put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? I am under an agreement with You, O God. I will give You gifts of thanks. For You have set my soul free from death. You have kept my feet from falling so I may walk with You in the light of life.

I would be able to take it if the one who hates me were putting me to shame. I could hide from her. It is not one who hates me who has put herself up against me. But it is a woman like myself, one who has gone with me, my close friend.  We shared together and we walked with the people in Your house.

I will call on You and You will save me.  I will cry out and complain in the evening and morning and noon, and You will hear my voice.  You will save my soul in peace. You sit on Your throne forever. I will continue to give all my cares to You and You will give me strength. You will never let those who are right with You be shaken. O God, I will trust in You, for You are faithful to give me strength.

A Winter Song of Worship and Praise adapted from Psalm 138, 144, 145 & 146

Jan18

Jehovah-Sel’i – Lord my Rock

Praise and thanks be to You, O Lord. You are my rock, my wall of strength and my strong place.  You are the One who sets me free and provides a safe covering. You are the One I trust completely. I will sing a new song and give you all of my praise.

Thank you for my life. Even if I walk into trouble, You keep me safe. You put out Your hand against the anger of those who hate me and Your right hand saves me. You do not turn away from me even though my life is like a breath and my days are like a passing shadow. You have promised to finish the work You started in me. Knowing of this promise brings a smile to my face. Thank you!

Thank you for my children. May they mature to full growth in Your love and be like the corner pieces of a great house that cherishes the praise of Your Name.  May there be no cry of trouble in their streets. May they experience Your constant presence and peace.

 I will sing praises to my God as long as I live, for my family’s happiness is in You, and our hope lies in You, O Lord our God.

You made the heavens, the earth, the seas and all that is in them. You are faithful forever.  You help those who have a bad power over them. You give food to the hungry. You set free those who are in prison. You open the eyes of the blind. You raise up those who are brought down and love those who are right and good. You keep the strangers safe and take care of the children who have no father and the woman whose husband has died.

My God, you are so good! You will rule forever! I will sing praises to You as long as I live.  I will sing a new song for my hope lies in You, O Lord our God.

 You answered me on the day I called. You gave my soul strength. Daily I will bow down toward Your holy house, giving thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth. Thank you, Lord, for meeting all my needs and my desires. You held me when I fell, raised me up and called me to live at a higher level. You opened Your hand and filled my desire. You are right and good in Your ways. I will give You thanks with all my heart and give You all of my praise.

 You are truly near to all who call on You in truth. You fill the desire of those who fear You. You hear their cry and save them. You take care of all who love You. Thank you for Your goodness, Lord. You are too great for anyone to understand. I will think about Your power and Your great works for You are full of loving-favor and pity, slow to anger and great in loving-kindness. My mouth will give You all of my praise.

FAMILY: Lesson 6 Bonus Content

Jan17

BLESSING THE FAMILY

Heavenly Father, we pray that the blessing spoken to our family will be an outpouring of love from the heart that truly adores You. May the blessing of our loving touch be a blessing to our children and  to Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.                                         

“He has blessed your children” Psalm 147:13                                                                         “Train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6

A sincere commitment to make your family the first priority above all human relationships is the second step in building the foundation that leads to a life of excellence. Commitment is an agreement or a pledge to do something in the future. It is a state of being obligated or emotionally impelled. (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary)10476045_10152618983616532_3411331249855560867_o

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” Kenneth Blanchard

Scripture Memorization
“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16

The StudyThe Study (workbook)

Return to the story of Ruth. Note Ruth’s commitment to her mother-in-law, Naomi.  Ruth was emotionally impelled to meet the physical and emotional needs of Naomi. Note that  this commitment wasn’t convenient or easy. Identify the actions that demonstrated commitment.  Also identify the sacrifice endured by this princess from Moab that led to results of divine blessing and favor.
Complete pages 33-34  (workbook). 

BLESSING OUR CHILDREN

Blessing our children is as vital in today’s world as it was in biblical times. As women of faith and  excellence, the commitment to passing on the blessing to our family must be a priority. Throughout the Bible, we find evidence that the God of Israel was a God of blessing. The words bless or blessing is found in scripture 700 times. The people of the Bible needed and desired the grace, mercy, power, and encouragement that could be poured into their lives through God’s blessing.

What is a blessing?

The Old Testament word for blessing is berakah.  Berakah was the endowment of the power of God’s goodness and favor. The blessing was delivered through a spoken word and often laying hands on the one being blessed. The spoken blessing was commonly spoken by fathers to their children. In the New Testament, the word “bless” is the Greek verb eulogeo  which we get our word eulogy. It means “to speak well of” or “to praise”. (New International Exhaustive Concordance)

Why should we embrace the act of blessing?

As parents, our ultimate goal is to help our children know and love God with all their heart. What better way than to help our children experience God by giving them a daily concrete encounter with His power and favor by laying hands on them and speaking a blessing. Secondly, the blessings brings security. The blessing has the ability to convey God’s love to children by our parental attention. Children desperately need our undivided attention. Thirdly, the act of blessing creates an atmosphere of openness and honesty. And lastly, when we continue to bless our children especially through difficult times in their life, it demonstrates to them an element of faith that they might never see otherwise. This steady, unwavering demonstration of confidence in what they’ll become helps them mature in accordance with those positive expectations.

In Mark 10:13-16, Jesus blesses the children.  This story allows us to know the depths of Jesus’ concern for children and clearly demonstrates to us how we are to treat our children.  Read this account in Mark 10.

How to bless  your children.

Identify and use  the five key components to bless your child.  Choose the time of day in which you will routinely bless your child. Mornings were perfect for me and my husband chose bedtime. Refer to p 54 in Excellence with Simple Elegance.  These elements are the tool to bless and to enhance the way you communicate love and acceptance to your children. Make a  commitment to bless daily.

Numbers 6:24-25 “The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord life up His countenance on you, And give you peace.”     This is the priestly blessing the Lord gave to Moses for Aaron and his sons to bless the children of Israel.  All Christian parents say “Yes” to the idea of showing God’s goodness to their children. Yet we are keenly aware of our failures to help them love God as we ought to love Him.  So where are we going to go with that sense of failure? We must not go to guilt, but go to God for the grace to love Him as we should and as well as to show God’s goodness to our children. Begin using this written blessing to speak over your children nightly.  Also explain to your children what a blessing is and why you are choosing to speak a blessing over them beginning tonight.

Complete pages 35-37  (workbook)

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

The Deuteronomy text is definitely for those who are serious about passing the blessings of God to their family. God calls us to frame the entire day with talking to our children about the ways of God. Obviously, presenting God’s glory and goodness to our children is an essential part of our calling as parents. If God’s power, mercy, and grace has not melted your heart, shaping in you a profound love for Him, it will be difficult to impress His glory on your children. God’s Word must be precious to you for it to be important to your children.

Passing the blessing to your children begins with being dazzled by God and His truths  filling your heart.  God’s goodness and love must fascinate you so much so that it’s the very pulse of your heart. So these elements of meaningful touch and kind words will be expressed to fully meet the need of the one to which you are bestowing the blessing. These acts of selflessness are expressed from a servant’s heart that truly comes from loving God. Simply living and blessing your children daily will impress upon them the excellence of God’s ways.

A mother’s devotion & prayer to her children
“To my grown children, you awoke a part of me I did not know existed, you are the greatest gift given to me by God.
I gave you life, but I cannot live it for you. • I can teach you things, but I cannot make you learn. • I can give you directions, but I cannot always be there to lead you. • I can take you to church, but I cannot make you believe. • I can teach you right from wrong, but I can’t always decide for you. • I can offer you advice, but I cannot accept it for you. • I can teach you to share, but I cannot make you unselfish. • I can advise you about friends, but I cannot choose them for you. • I can tell you about lofty goals, but I can’t achieve them for you. • I can teach you about kindness, but I can’t force you to be gracious. • I can warn you about sins, but I cannot make your morals. • I can love you as a child, but I cannot place you in God’s Family. • I can pray for you, but I cannot make you walk with God. • I can teach you about Jesus, but I cannot make Him your Savior. • I can teach you to obey but I cannot make Jesus Your Lord. • I can teach you how to live, but cannot give you Eternal Life.”
I love you, mom                     SmileFMquote

Promise

“Train up a child…he will not depart from it”

Blessing

Excellence with Simple Elegance

“I will pour out My Spirit on your children and bring good to your children’s children.”                                                                                     

Both books can be purchased at Amazon.com

https://a.co/d/dJlm5zG

https://a.co/d/5G6L0Rq

                                                                                                                                        

PUT GOD FIRST: Lesson 5 Bonus Content

Jan15

“In everything you do put God first, He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”   Proverbs 3:6               

Scripture Memorization

We, women of faith are fully aware that our value comes from God. Everything that is good within us is a direct result of His mercy and favor. As women of faith, we are passionate, intentional about living God’s way, and actively pursuing God.

 Happy are all who search for God and always do His will.

Psalm 119:2 promises blessing for those who keep His testimonies, and who seek Him with their whole heart! So our commitment to seek Him grows strong, because we love Him.   We are also reminded of the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for us. We are so thankful, and our passion becomes to live God’s way and this commitment is seen in the way we conduct ourselves: in our family relationships, our work relationships, and our community relationships.

The task of mirroring and reflecting the holiness of God is difficult.  This world is full of challenges. In the midst of crazy chaotic moments, we often compromise our conviction to bare the image of God.  We discover this path of ‘putting God first’ is lonely at times, scary, uncomfortable, unfamiliar and requires sacrifice.

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